John e



July 31, 1923. r 1,463,151

- J. E. CARR INCLOSED SWITCH Filed July 1. 1920 2 fleets-Sheet 1 Patented July 31, 1923.

UNITED STATES 1,463,151 P T N OFFICEQL JOHN E. CARR, or AURORA, ILLInoIs, AssIeNOR'To LL-srnLL-Eom .COMIANY, or AURORA, ILLINO s, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS.

monosnn swrrcrt Application filed July 1,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1; JOHN E. CARR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented a. certain new and useful Improvement in Inclosed Switches, of which the following is a specification.

.My invention relates to inclosed or safety switches. more particularly of the externally operated type, and the objectsof the invention are first, to provide means for preventing the opening of the box when'the switch is in closed position; second;'toiproride means for preventing theclosingof the switch when the box isopen; and third,

to provide a. construction such that a padlock or other locking device may be employed for locking the switch open and thus preventing anyone from obtaining service unless it is approved by an.inspector or other authorized person. In; connection with these objects it is mypurpose to accomplish the results in an economical, efficicnt and certain manner. A

These objects are accomplished by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- A Figure 1 is an assembly view in perspec-' ti ve showing the switch and box'cover open;

Figure 2 is a side elevation looking towards the left in Figure 1, the box being shown in section. A

Figure 3 is a plan section on the line 3-3, Figure 2.

Figure l is a. perspective view of the box with the cover closed, a portion of the cover being broken away to show the position of the operating link and locking arm.

F igure 5 is a side elevation looking towards the left in Figure-4L F igure 6 is a. plan section on the line 6-6, Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary detail-showing the means by which a padlock may be employed for keeping the box lockedr Like'numerals denote like parts thruout the several views,

The box proper, indicated by the refer ence numeral 1. is preferably of sheet metal and is provided. with a cOverZ which in the present case is hinged to it. ,Mounted within the box, preferably on the back wall, is a panel 4 of insulating material having stationary contacts 6. 6 adapted to be engaged by switch blades 7, 7 said blades being con- 192i). Serlal'Ro. 393,303.

nected by an insulating'cross bar 8 soas to Operate-in unison. The blades 'are rotatable about stationary pivots '9."- It -is desirable to equip the panel with sockets 10 adapted to receive fuse plugs 11. The parts as thus far described, are well known, and thedesign may be varied without'de arting frorn the spirit of the invention. or convenience-the blades? and cross bar 8 will-be collectively "referred to as the switch l? altho they are in reality, simply the movable elements'thereof.

Now referrin' to the parts more intimately connecte with the essence of the in}? vention: A rod 12 is pivotally connected to the cross bar 8, preferably by ineans of a block 14. The bottom wall ofthe box has a slot or' hole 17, preferably near the front edge, and the link, which is here shown as'a fiat bar, passes outth'rii'it A, shoulder or 'ofl'setloi's formedbetween the ends of the'rod'in'such positio'ri'that when the rod is drawn outward; and jthe"switch is completely open, the-shoulder willsti'ike against the bottom wall of the box and limit-the movement. It is desirable to provide a ring 16 or other appropriate handle at theouter end of the rod to facilitate operatin it. The-portion of the rod'below the shoiilder- 15'is long enough to permit the rod to be raised sufficiently to enable the switch'to be closed, asdllustrated in Figures 4 and 5. It is desirable to provide a hole-18 in the rod 12 below shoulder 15. By passin the bow of a padlock thru this holebeneat the-bottom of the box. the switch cannot be closed; thus enabling the superintendent-in P elm'rge to he assured that the switch I cannot be closed except by one provided with a key for the purpose. i I

Now referring especially to the interlocking devices, a locking arm 20 is secured to the inside of the cover,'as'shown'-in= per-= spective in'Fig'ure' -1.. It is here shown in the form of a plate and lies horizontal so as to'swing just/above 'the hottom walI'of the box. It hasa segmental workingedge 21 which isconcentricwvith'the axis of the hinges of the cover. Inother' words, the edge 21 is approximately a quadrant concentric with the axis of the cover." It is of such diameter as to enter well'into a notch 22 formed in the adjacent side of the link 12 just above the shoulder 15. This notch is shown in perspective in Figures 1' and 4.

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So long-as any part. of thelocking arm .pro- 'ects into the notch it prevents the rod'from eing pushed inward and thus revents the switchfrom being closed. At t e inner end of these enta-l edge of the locking arm 20 the meta is cutaway-to enable the arm to clear the rod so it can be raised for closing the switch. Differently stated, the'locking arm is cut away neanp the inside of the cover, so that when the cover is closed the lockingarm will disengage itself 'irom the rod .andpermit therod to be pushed inward -for closing eof theswitch. This cut in .the lockingarm forms a. shoulder 26 and thepantSiare so. formed that unless the rod is pulled outsothatgthe .notch will .lie in the -.plane-o.f.-.the locking arm, the shoulder 26'will1strike the. inside of the r0d.and. present the cover from being swung open. Thusgthe cover is looked shut except when the switch is. open.

A lug 24: projects beyondthe arc .of the quadrant, .at ,the .outer end (the end remote from the cover) ,as hestshown in, Figure 3. It projects :far .enough to strikethe inner side .of the -.rod. .and: .thus ..forms a .stop for limiting the outward swing-ogt'the cover. In fact, -,the locking arm- 20,-;fqrms a stop operative upon gthe'rodforgpreventing the rod from.being pushed in when the arm and cover are inopen positiorn-and the rod forms a sto -'operative upon the .arm for- ,preventing -t e arm-and 'TGOVBI from being swung open-when -themod ispushed in.

The'q eration .will now be readily understood. long as [the =c0ver remains closed the rod may beapushed inward or pulled outwardJfor-olosing or :op'eni-ng the switch, but unless-the rod is pulled outward to the limit (.and'thus holds Zthe switch open) the shoulder'26.will:strike the rodandhold'the cover closed. 11f, now, the-rod is pulledfully outward-the notch will come to thezplane of the locking arm, thus permitting it toenter and ermitting'.the cover to be swung open. So on: as thecover remains open the switch will-be-looked 0 en. Thus, unless the switch has been opene the cover cannot be opened and so 'long as'the cover remains open the switch cannot be closed.

Frequently it is desired -to prevent the closing of-the switch regardless of whether thescover is-closed or open. By inserting the bow=of a padlock thru the'hole 18 in rod 12 when 'the switch is open it will become impossible- 170 close the switch. Usually the key to-the :padlock will be retained by an i-nspector'or superintendent who will thus have .control oft-he apparatus and be able to prevent currentdrom being supplied to the circuit which theswitch box controls.

It will be noted thatthe results above describedane obtained in a vervsimple and economical manner. Practically speaking, theiinterlocking'iof the switch and cover is obtained simply by the aid oftwoelcments, viz, the locking'plate .and the rod. These parts are of simple form and may be readily assembled. The locking arm is preferably in a plane near the plane ofth'e bottom of the box, and hence the rod need not be of particularly heavy construction because the leverage exerted upon it by the locking arm is consequently veryslight; furthermore, the hole 17 thru which the rod emerges acts as a uide and the metal surrounding it absol lis the strain in case any person .should exert aastron pull on the cover in an attempt to .open it. husa beneficial result is gained from the fact that the rod passes out thru a hole in the wall of the box and the locking arm lies ;near the plane of the same Wall.

. Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire .to secure by Letters Patent, is:

"1. An externally operated inclosed switch having afiboxa cover hinged to it, a switch withinthe box, an operating rod connected tothe-switch ndpassing out through a hole in one of the walls of the box, said rod being movable approximately longitudinally for operating theswitch and being arranged approximately parallel tothe hinged axis of the box cover, a the switch bein open when the rod is pulled out, and a locking arm fastened to the cover and adapted to engage and 'loc'k'the rod when the latter has been pulled outward and the door has been swun open.

2. n externally opera-ted inclosed switch havinga box, a cover hinged to it, a switch within the box, an operating rod connected to'the switch'and passing out through a hole inone of the walls of the box, said rod being: movable approximately longitudinally for operating the switch and being arranged approximately parallel to the hinged axis of the box cover, the switch being open when the rod is. pulled out. said rod having a shoulder facing inward. and a locking arm fastened to the inside of the cover and having a segmental working edge adapted to lie in front of the shoulder on the rod when the rod is pulled outward and the cover is in various angular positions, partially or fully open.

3. In combination, a switch box havinga cover hinged to it, a switch withinthe box. an operating rod connected to the switch and passing out through a hole in the box, said rod having an offset in it which forms one shoulder facing outward for limitin the distance to which -=the rod may be pulle outward, and a second-shoulder facing inward. and allocking-arm fastened to the cover and adapted to project over the second .shoulder for preventing therod from being pushed in when-the locking plate andcover are in open position. 7

4. Inicombination, a switch box having a hole in one of the walls, a hinged cover, a switch within the box, an operating rod connected to the switch and passing out through said hole, said rod having a shoulder facing inward, a locking arm fastened to the inside of the cover and havin a segmental portion adapted to engage sai shoulder when the cover is open and the rod is pulled outward, said locking arm also having a projection adapted to engage the back of the rod when the cover is open for limiting the distance to which the cover may be swung open.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a box, a hinged cover, an inclosed switch, a rod passing out thru a hole in the box and movable longitudinally for controlling the switch, the rod being cut away at one point, and the cover having a locking arm fastened to it, the arm lyin in a plane at right angles to the rod an having a shoulder adapted to strike against the rod and hold the cover closed unless the cut-away portion of the rod lies in the ,plane of the arm, said cutaway portion being in the plane of the arm when the switch is open.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with the box, cover and inclosed switch, of a rod passin out thru a hole in the box and movab e longitudinally to control the switch, the rod having a notch in the side, and the cover having a locking arm fastened to it, the armlyin in a plane at right angles to the rod an to the cover and havin a shoulder dapted to strike against the ro and hold t e cover closed unless the notch lies in the plane of the arm, the notch being in the plane of the arm only when the switch is open.

7. An externally operated inclosed switch having a box, a cover hinged thereto, a switch within the box, a rod, arranged approximately parallel to the axis of the cover hinge, connected to the switch and movable longitudinally for operating it, the rod passing out thru a hole in one of the walls of the box and having a shoulder adapted to strike the wall of the box when the switch is completely opened, the rod having a notch just inside of the shoulder; and a lockin arm fastened to the inside of the cover 1n a plane parallel to and near the plane of the wall which has the hole in it, said locking arm having a working edge concentric with the axis of the cover hinge adapted to enter and lie within the notch in all positions except the one corresponding to the closed position of the door.

8. An externally operated inclosed switch having a box, a cover hinged thereto and adapted to swing about a vertical axis, a rod pivoted to the end of the switch for operating it, said rod being longitudinally movable vertically and passing out thru a hole in the bottom of the box and having a shoulder adapted to strike the bottom of the box when the switch is completely open, a locking arm fastened to the inside of the cover in a plane slightly above the plane of the bottom of the box, the arm and the rod being adapted to interlock and prevent the rise of the rod in all positions of the locking arm excepting that corresponding to closed position of the cover.

9. An externally operated inclosed switch having a box, a cover hinged thereto and adapted to swing about a vertical axis, a rod movable longitudinally and pivoted to the end of the switch for operating it, the link passing out thru a hole in the bottom of the box and having a-shoulder adapted to strike the bottom of the box when the switch is completely open, a locking arm fastened to the inside of the cover in a plane slightly above the plane of the bottom of the box, the arm and the rod bein adapted to interlock and prevent outwar movement of the arm in all positions of the rod except that corresponding to the open position of the switch.

10. An externally operated inclosed switchhaving a box, a cover hinged to the box,a switch within the box, a longitudinally movable rod connected to the switch for operating it, the rod passing out thru a hole in one of the box walls perpendicular to the hinge axis, and an arm fastened to the inside of the cover and extending at right angles thereto, the arm having a lug adapted to strike the inside of the rod for limiting the extent to which the cover may be swung open.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

JOHN E. CARR. 

